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Quantitative Characterization (quantitative + characterization)
Selected AbstractsDesign of Biomolecular Interfaces Using Liquid Crystals Containing Oligomeric Ethylene GlycolADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 13 2010Zhongqiang Yang Abstract An investigation of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) formed from miscible mixtures of 4-cyano-4,-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) and 2-(2-[2-{2-(2,3-difluoro-4-{4-(4- trans -pentylcyclohexyl)-phenyl-phenoxy)ethoxy}ethoxy]ethoxy)ethanol (EG4-LC) is reported, the latter being a mesogen with a tetra(ethylene glycol) tail. Quantitative characterization of the ordering of this LC mixture at biologically relevant aqueous interfaces reveals that addition of EG4-LC (1%,5% by weight) to 5CB causes a continuous transition in the ordering of the LC from a planar (pure 5CB) to a perpendicular (homeotropic) orientation. The homeotropic ordering is also seen in aqueous dispersions of micrometer-sized droplets of the LC mixture, which exhibit enhanced stability against coalescence. These observations and others, all of which suggest partitioning of the EG4-LC from the bulk of the LC to its aqueous interface, are complemented by measurements of the adsorption of bovine serum albumin to the aqueous,LC interface. Overall, the results demonstrate a general and facile approach to the design of LCs with interfaces that present biologically relevant chemical functional groups, assume well-defined orientations at aqueous interfaces, and lower non-specific protein adsorption. The bulk of the LC serves as a reservoir of EG4-LC, thus permitting easy preparation of these interfaces and the potential for spontaneous repair of the EG4-decorated interfaces during contact with biological systems. [source] Quantitative characterization of sphere-templated porous biomaterialsAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005A. J. Marshall Abstract Three-dimensional (3-D) porous hydrogels were fabricated by polymerizing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate around templates of random close-packed poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres with nominal diameter of 5 or 15 ,m. The templates were leached out to create networks of interconnected spherical pores. Applications for sphere-templated porous biomaterials include scaffolds for tissue engineering and spatial control of wound healing. This study describes an approach to characterizing pore structure and predicting permeability of sphere-templated porous hydrogels. The materials were embedded in resin, and 1-,m-plane sections were digitally analyzed with fluorescence microscopy. The porosity and pore size distribution were determined from stereological interpretation, and we present novel techniques for obtaining the pore throat size distribution, the number of pore throats per pore, and the tortuosity. A simple apparatus is also introduced for measurement of the hydraulic permeability. Permeability predictions based on quantitative microscopy measurements and on stereology were found to agree closely with permeability measurements. The aptness of the Kozeny equation for spherically pored materials is also investigated. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005 [source] Quantitative characterization of hemodynamic properties and vasculature dysfunction of high-grade gliomasNMR IN BIOMEDICINE, Issue 6 2007Vijaya Nagesh Abstract Aberrations in tumor and peritumoral vasculature may not be distinguishable by cerebral blood flow (CBF) or cerebral blood volume (CBV) alone. The relationships between CBF and CBV were examined to estimate vasculature-specific hemodynamic characteristics. Twenty glioma patients were studied with dynamic susceptibility T2*-weighted MRI [(dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI)] before and during week 1 and 3 of radiotherapy (RT). CBF and CBV were calculated from DSC-MRI, and relationships between the two were evaluated: the physiological measure of mean transit time (MTT),=,CBV/CBF; empirical fitting using the power law CBV,=,constant,×,(CBF),. Three different tissue types were assessed: the Gd-enhancing tumor volume (GEV); non-enhanced abnormal tissue located beyond GEV but within the abnormal hyperintense region on FLAIR images (NEV); normal tissue in the hemisphere contralateral to the tumor (CNT). The effects of tissue types, CBV magnitudes (low, medium and high), before and during RT, on MTT and , were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The MTT and , for the three tissue types were significantly different (p,<,0.009). MTT increased from CNT (1.60,s) to NEV (1.93,s) to GEV (2.28,s) (p,<,0.0005). , was significantly greater in GEV (1.079) and NEV (1.070) than in CNT (1.025). , increased with increasing CBV magnitude while MTT was independent of CBV magnitude. There was a significant decrease in MTT of NEV and GEV during week 3 of RT compared with pre-RT values for all CBV magnitudes. There was a significant increase in , during RT in the tumor and peritumor. Progressive abnormalities in vasculature and hemodynamic characteristics of the vascular bed were delineated, with significant disorder in the tumor but mild abnormality in peritumoral tissue. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quantitative characterization of differential ion suppression on liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometric bioanalytical methodsRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 3 2003Michael J. Avery Ion suppression is a known phenomenon in atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry. These suppression effects have been shown to adversely affect the accuracy and precision of quantitative bioanalytical methods. This paper presents a simple procedure for determining the impact of differential ion suppression on bioanalytical methods that utilize atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometric (APIMS) detection. This procedure was applied to the assessment of two potential internal standards, and to determine selectivity issues for another analyte which was to be measured in multiple species. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quantitative characterization of quantum dot-labeled lambda phage for Escherichia coli detection ,,§BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009Peter B. Yim Abstract We characterize CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) binding to genetically modified bacteriophage as a model for bacterial detection. Interactions among QDs, lambda (,) phage, and Escherichia coli are examined by several cross-validated methods. Flow and image-based cytometry clarify fluorescent labeling of bacteria, with image-based cytometry additionally reporting the number of decorated phage bound to cells. Transmission electron microscopy, image-based cytometry, and electrospray differential mobility analysis allow quantization of QDs attached to each phage (4,17 QDs) and show that , phage used in this study exhibits enhanced QD binding to the capsid by nearly a factor of four compared to bacteriophage T7. Additionally, the characterization methodology presented can be applied to the quantitative characterization of other fluorescent nanocrystal-biological conjugates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;104: 1059,1067. Published 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Soil structure and pedotransfer functionsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2003Y.A. Pachepsky Summary Accurate estimates of soil hydraulic properties from other soil characteristics using pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are in demand in many applications, and soil structural characteristics are natural candidates for improving PTFs. Soil survey provides mostly categorical data about soil structure. Many available characteristics such as bulk density, aggregate distribution, and penetration resistance reflect not only structural but also other soil properties. Our objective here is to provoke a discussion of the value of structural information in modelling water transport in soils. Two case studies are presented. Data from the US National Pedon Characterization database are used to estimate soil water retention from categorical field-determined structural and textural classes. Regression-tree estimates have the same accuracy as those from textural class as determined in the laboratory. Grade of structure appears to be a strong predictor of water retention at ,33 kPa and ,1500 kPa. Data from the UNSODA database are used to compare field and laboratory soil water retention. The field-measured retention is significantly less than that measured in the laboratory for soils with a sand content of less than 50%. This could be explained by Rieu and Sposito's theory of scaling in soil structure. Our results suggest a close relationship between structure observed at the soil horizon scale and structure at finer scales affecting water retention of soil clods. Finally we indicate research needs, including (i) quantitative characterization of the field soil structure, (ii) an across-scale modelling of soil structure to use fine-scale data for coarse-scale PTFs, (iii) the need to understand the effects of soil structure on the performance of various methods available to measure soil hydraulic properties, and (iv) further studies of ways to use soil,landscape relationships to estimate variations of soil hydraulic properties across large areas of land. [source] Enveloping triangulation method for detecting internal cavities in proteins and algorithm for computing their surface areas and volumesJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2009Ján Bu Abstract Detection and quantitative characterization of the internal cavities in proteins remain an important topic in studying protein structure and function. Here we propose a new analytical method for detecting the existence of cavities in proteins. The method is based on constructing the special enveloping triangulation enclosing the cavities. Based on this method, we develop an algorithm and a fortran package, CAVE, for computing volumes and surface areas of cavities in proteins. We first test our method and algorithm in some artificial systems of spheres and find that the calculated results are consistent with exact results. Then we apply the package to compute volumes and surface areas of cavities for some protein structures in the Protein Data Bank. We compare our calculated results with those obtained by some other methods and find that our approach is reliable. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009 [source] Comparison of FTIR, FT-Raman, and NIR Spectroscopy in a Maple Syrup Adulteration StudyJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2002M. M. Paradkar ABSTRACT: Maple syrup is prone to adulteration with cheaper sugars, such as corn syrup, due to its simplicity in chemical composition. The adulterated samples were characterized by Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in the region of 400 to 4000 cm -1. Other techniques used for detection and in characterization of samples were the near infrared (NIR; 600 to 1700nm) and Fourier Transform-Raman (FT-Raman; 400 to 4000cm -1) spectroscopy. Quantifying and classifying adulterants using chemometrics shows that all spectroscopic methods adopted were efficient, but FTIR and FT-Raman were superior to NIR in quantitative characterization of adulterants in maple syrup. [source] Structural characterization of TiN/NbN multilayers: X-ray diffraction, energy-filtered TEM and Fresnel contrast techniques comparedJOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY, Issue 3 2005S. J. LLOYD Summary Two TiN/NbN multilayers with wavelength 13.6 and 6.15 nm have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fresnel contrast analysis (FCA) and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). Good agreement between the composition profile obtained by FCA and EFTEM is obtained if the lower resolution of the EFTEM images is taken into account. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the techniques are discussed. Used together the two TEM techniques provide a quantitative characterization that is consistent with, and for some parameters provides more precise values than, that from XRD. The analysis shows that the multilayers have narrow interfaces (< 1 nm) and a composition amplitude close to 95% for the longer wavelength. [source] Microstructure,Property Correlations in Industrial Thermal Barrier CoatingsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 7 2004Anand A. Kulkarni This paper describes the results from multidisciplinary characterization/scattering techniques used for the quantitative characterization of industrial thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems used in advanced gas turbines. While past requirements for TBCs primarily addressed the function of insulation/life extension of the metallic components, new demands necessitate a requirement for spallation resistance/strain tolerance, i.e., prime reliance, on the part of the TBC. In an extensive effort to incorporate these TBCs, a design-of-experiment approach was undertaken to develop tailored coating properties by processing under varied conditions. Efforts focusing on achieving durable/high-performance coatings led to dense vertically cracked (DVC) TBCs, exhibiting quasi-columnar microstructures approximating electron-beam physical-vapor-deposited (EB-PVD) coatings. Quantitative representation of the microstructural features in these vastly different coatings is obtained, in terms of porosity, opening dimensions, orientation, morphologies, and pore size distribution, by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) studies. Such comprehensive characterization, coupled with elastic modulus and thermal conductivity measurements of the coatings, help establish relationships between microstructure and properties in a systematic manner. [source] Chlorophyll a Self-assembly in Polar Solvent,Water Mixtures ,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Radka Vladkova ABSTRACT The conversion of chlorophyll a (Chl a) monomers into large aggregates in six polar solvents upon addition of water has been studied by means of absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime measurements for the purpose of elucidating the various environmental factors promoting Chl a self-assembly and determining the type of its organization. Two empirical solvent parameter scales were used for quantitative characterization of the different solvation properties of the solvents and their mixtures with water. The mole fractions of water f1/2 giving rise to the midpoint values of the relative fluorescence quantum yield were determined for each solvent, and then various solvent,water mixture parameters for the f1/2 values were compared. On the basis of their comparison, it is concluded that the hydrogen-bonding ability and the dipole,dipole interactions (function of the dielectric constant) of the solvent,water mixtures are those that promote Chl a self-assembly. The influence of the different nature of the nonaqueous solvents on the Chl aggregation is manifested by both the different water contents required to induce Chl monomer , aggregate transition and the formation of two types of aggregates at the completion of the transition: species absorbing at 740,760 nm (in methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, acetone) and at 667,670 nm (in pyridine and tetrahydrofuran). It is concluded that the type of Chl organization depends on the coordination ability and the polarizability (function of the index of refraction) of the organic solvent. The ordering of the solvents with respect to the f1/2 values,methanol < ethanol < acetonitrile < acetone < pyridine < tetrahydrofuran,yielded a typical lyotropic (Hofmeister) series. On the basis of this solvent ordering and the disparate effects of the two groups of solvents on the Chl a aggregate organization, it is pointed out that the mechanism of Chl a self-assembly in aqueous media can be considered a manifestation of the Hofmeister effect, as displayed in the lipid-phase behavior (Koynova et al., Eur. J. Biophys. 25, 261,274, 1997). It relates to the solvent ability to modify the bulk structure and to distribute unevenly between the Chl,water interface and bulk liquid. [source] Kinetics of the phase selective localization of silica in rubber blendsPOLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 10 2010Hai Hong Le The Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy on the rubber-filler gel has been used as a tool for the quantitative characterization of the phase selective silica localization in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)/natural rubber (NR) blends. The so-called rubber-layer L was introduced to describe the selective wetting behavior of the rubber phases to the filler. SBR/NR blends filled with silica were the focus of the experimental investigation. NR shows a higher wetting rate than SBR. Silane addition does not affect the wetting of NR but slowdowns the wetting of SBR. With increasing chamber temperature the value of the rubber-layer L of all mixtures increases owing to the different thermal activated rubber-filler bonding processes. Using the wetting concept the kinetics of silica localization in the phases of heterogeneous rubber blends was characterized. Because of the higher wetting rate of the NR component, in the first stage of mixing of NR/SBR blends more silica is found in the NR phase than in the SBR phase. In the next stage, silica is transferred from the NR phase to the SBR phase until the loosely bonded components of NR rubber-layer are fully replaced by SBR molecules. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1701,1711, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source] A simple automated method of quantitative characterization of foam behaviour,POLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2003Dr Klaus Lunkenheimer Abstract There are various methods available to measure foam stability. However, their main drawback is that their results are hardly comparable because definite boundary conditions are missing. One particular disadvantage is that there is no method which is applicable to systems of very low (transient or ,wet' foams) as well as of very high (metastable or ,dry' foams) foam stability. Here, we put forward a novel automatic, pneumatic method that is applicable to both systems. Its principle relies on the measurement of the foam produced by dispersing a definite amount of gas in a definite volume of solution at constant gas velocity. Foam and draining solution are determined simultaneously. This method has advantages over all other methods in several respects such as: (1) it represents a simple and definite procedure under well-defined boundary conditions, (2) it is generally applicable to all kinds of foam, and (3) it provides new standard parameters for the quantitative characterization of foamability and foam stability. The standard parameters can be related to the basic adsorption properties and the structure of the surfactant. The method's capability is demonstrated with three different non-ionic and ionic surfactants belonging to the wet (n-octanoic acid) and dry foam systems (n-nonyl-,- D -glucopyranoside and sodium dodecylsulfate). Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Technical note: Morphometric maps of long bone shafts and dental roots for imaging topographic thickness variationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Luca Bondioli Abstract Qualitative and quantitative characterization through functional imaging of mineralized tissues is of potential value in the study of the odontoskeletal remains. This technique, widely developed in the medical field, allows the bi-dimensional, planar representation of some local morphometric properties, i.e., topographic thickness variation, of a three-dimensional object, such as a long bone shaft. Nonetheless, the use of morphometric maps is still limited in (paleo)anthropology, and their feasibility has not been adequately tested on fossil specimens. Using high-resolution microtomographic images, here we apply bi-dimensional virtual "unrolling" and synthetic thickness mapping techniques to compare cortical bone topographic variation across the shaft in a modern and a fossil human adult femur (the Magdalenian from Chancelade). We also test, for the first time, the possibility to virtually unroll and assess for dentine thickness variation in modern and fossil (the Neanderthal child from Roc de Marsal) human deciduous tooth roots. The analyses demonstrate the feasibility of using two-dimensional morphometric maps for the synthetic functional imaging and comparative biomechanical interpretation of cortical bone thickness variation in extant and fossil specimens and show the interest of using this technique also for the subtle characterization of root architecture and dentine topography. More specifically, our preliminary results support the use of virtual cartography as a tool for assessing to what extent internal root morphology is capable of responding to loading and directional stresses and strains in a predictable way. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Quantitative characterization of quantum dot-labeled lambda phage for Escherichia coli detection ,,§BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009Peter B. Yim Abstract We characterize CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) binding to genetically modified bacteriophage as a model for bacterial detection. Interactions among QDs, lambda (,) phage, and Escherichia coli are examined by several cross-validated methods. Flow and image-based cytometry clarify fluorescent labeling of bacteria, with image-based cytometry additionally reporting the number of decorated phage bound to cells. Transmission electron microscopy, image-based cytometry, and electrospray differential mobility analysis allow quantization of QDs attached to each phage (4,17 QDs) and show that , phage used in this study exhibits enhanced QD binding to the capsid by nearly a factor of four compared to bacteriophage T7. Additionally, the characterization methodology presented can be applied to the quantitative characterization of other fluorescent nanocrystal-biological conjugates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;104: 1059,1067. Published 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Analysis of the interactions between the peptides from secreted human CKLF1 and heparin using capillary zone electrophoresisJOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 8 2008Yi Liu Abstract The Chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1) is a novel human cytokine and exhibits chemotactic activities on leukocytes. Two peptides named CKLF1-C27 and CKLF1-C19, were obtained from secreted CKLF1. In this study, a selective high-performance analytical method based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) to investigate interactions between heparin and CKLF1-C27/CKLF1-C19 was developed. Samples containing CKLF1-C27/CKLF1-C19 and heparin at various ratios were incubated at room temperature and then separated by CZE with Tris-acetate buffer at pH 7.2. Both qualitative and quantitative characterizations of the binding were determined. The binding constants of the interactions between CKLF1-C27/CKLF1-C19 and heparin were calculated as (3.38 ± 0.49) × 105M,1 and (1.10 ± 0.02) × 105M,1 by Scatchard analysis. To study structural requirements, CKLF1-C19pm and CKLF1-C19km have been synthesized, and their interactions with heparin have been studied by CZE. We found that the Pro or Lys to Ala substitution within the residues of CKLF1-C19 (CKLF1-C19pm or CKLF1-C19km) strongly decreased or abolished its interaction with heparin, suggesting that the residues of Pro affect the affinity of CKLF1-C19 for heparin, and the residues of Lys of CKLF1-C19 play the important role for the interaction of CKLF1-C19 and heparin, respectively. The methodology presented should be generally applicable to study peptides and heparin interactions quantitatively and qualitatively. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||